Indian Telecom Giant Collaborates With Google Over Budget Smartphones In $25B 5G Push, Launch Grocery Shopping On WhatsApp

India's top mobile telecom operator, Reliance collaborated with Alphabet Inc's GOOG GOOGL Google to launch a budget 5G phone as the former earmarked $25 billion for 5G rollout in two months, Reuters reports.

Reliance Jio, India's biggest mobile carrier with over 421 million telecom subscribers, will extend its 5G network to "every town" in India by the end of 2023, TechCrunch reports.

Jio snapped up airwaves worth $11 billion in a $19 billion 5G spectrum auction earlier this month.

"Jio has prepared an ambitious 5G rollout plan," Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani said during the annual general meeting. Reliance and Google aimed to develop an "ultra-affordable" smartphone.

5G data speeds in India will likely be about ten times faster than those of 4G, with the network seen as vital for emerging technologies like self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

Ambani said Jio would deploy a standalone 5G architecture that does not rely on the existing 4G network and offers superior performance. 

Reliance showcased the AirFiber, a wireless plug-and-play 5G hotspot bypassing fiber cables to reach homes.

Jio also expanded its partnership with Qualcomm Inc QCOM to develop 5G solutions for India, also remaining open to its international expansion.

Meta Platforms Inc META, an e-commerce venture between Reliance Retail and Jio Platforms, introduced grocery shopping to WhatsApp.

The collaboration could be a significant revenue driver for WhatsApp's add-free model, TechCrunch reports.

Customers in India can browse JioMart's grocery catalog on WhatsApp, add items to the cart, and make payments via local payments rail UPI. Around half a billion Indian users access WhatsApp every month.

Photo by World Economic Forum via Flickr